Concord: Police arrest man in death at homeless camp

CONCORD -- A 38-year-old homeless man was arrested Thursday morning after a fight the night before left a man dead at a homeless camp near the Concord Avenue offramp to Interstate 680, a law enforcement spokesman said.

An autopsy Thursday revealed Nagle was strangled to death, Lee said. The fight occurred Wednesday night. Both men were transients, Lee said.

Sheriff's Office deputies were called at 8 p.m. to the northbound onramp to I-680, about 10 minutes after emergency crews from the Contra Costa Fire Protection District were dispatched, Lee said. Deputies arrived to find lifesaving measures being performed on Nagle, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Why the two men were fighting remains a mystery, Lee said.

"We just know that they were fighting," he said. "But as far as what happened, it's really hard to say at this point."

Riley is being held at County Jail in Martinez on $1 million bail.

Nagle had been on the streets off and on for more than a decade, said Doug Stewart of Central County Homeless Outreach.

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Stewart, who responded to the scene Wednesday to help police, said Nagle, or "Jed" as he was called, and his girlfriend, Bambi, were Stewart's first clients when Stewart started in 2004.

"As far as life, Jed had his problems," Stewart said. "I will say he always tried to take care of Bambi."

Nagle had been staying with Bambi until she lost her housing over the last month, Stewart said.

The pair recently set up a tent in some bushes at the homeless camp where Nagle was killed, according to Stewart.

Stewart, who patrols and tracks homeless camps each night, said homeless moved into the camp near Concord Avenue and I-680 about two weeks ago.

The Sheriff's Office investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 925-335-1500.